For a team that was 8-4-3 before last night’s game and sat second in the Pacific Division, it was important for the Los Angeles Kings to come out on top against the below-average Columbus Blue Jackets who have now suffered four straight losses.
Bouncing back after a loss has been something this Kings team has done a terrific job at, not having consecutive losses since mid-October. In fact, the Kings haven’t lost two games in a row in regulation at all this season. After coming up short in a tight loss to the Vancouver Canucks a couple of nights ago, the Kings found a way to get back into the win column.
“That’s character and a will to win, you know veteran leadership […] if you don’t have veteran guys or leadership like we have, it makes it pretty tough,” said head coach Jim Hiller.
It wasn’t a full, pretty sixty-minute effort from the Kings but their ability to capitalize on a majority of their chances, backed by an outstanding effort from goaltender David Rittich in the second period, was enough to get the job done. The Kings pulled out a 5-2 win over the Jackets to improve to 9-4-3 on the season. Warren Foegele picked up two points, a vintage Trevor Moore goal was showcased, and Alex Laferriere collected his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
A sloppy start throughout the neutral zone from the Kings allowed the Blue Jackets to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Kevin Fiala made a risky pass in the neutral zone that was picked off which led to the goal and caused him to be glued to the bench for the rest of the period. The inability to connect cleanly on passes, the lack of sustained pressure, and the risky plays that led to turnovers were way too evident during the first 20 minutes. The Kings had a total of 14 giveaways throughout the game with seven of them occurring in the first period.
Production Continues From the Back End
No other team’s defensive group has seen themselves on the scoresheet more than the Kings have. They lead the entire league in goals by defensemen with 11. Activating their defensemen in the offensive zone is one way this group has been able to convert offensively. Not only are their defensemen finding shooting lanes but a lot of credit should be given to the forwards who are getting to the net and making it difficult for opposing goaltenders to track pucks.
Three of the five Kings goals involved a defenseman. Vladislav Gavrikov ringed one in bar down from the point after receiving a pass from Adrian Kempe to tie the game at one. While it was Laferriere who scored the fourth goal with a ridiculous redirection, it was Joel Edmundson who fired one from the blue line. Brandt Clarke scored the empty netter to cap off the night.
Related: Kings’ Kevin Fiala Has Found New Gear Since Benching
It’s a combined effort from all five skaters on the ice to have the success the Kings have had with producing offense from up top. It’s simple hockey and it’s worked so well because everyone knows where they need to be on the ice to allow for goals like these to be scored.
“I think our forwards help us, they get to the net hard […] I think they have done a good job creating traffic and we’re just tryna shoot and get something down there,” defenseman Mikey Anderson said.
Helenius Made His NHL Debut
Samuel Helenius was a player who stood out during training camp and the preseason. With Alex Turcotte injured and Tanner Jeannot serving his three-game suspension for his hit on Brock Boeser, the Kings needed to call someone up from Ontario to fill in the gap. Helenius got the call to make his NHL debut and he did not disappoint.
For most players who make their NHL debut, it takes a bit of time to adjust to the speed and get comfortable playing in a new atmosphere. For Helenius, that wasn’t the case. He looked poised and confident from the moment the puck dropped and even picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Foegele’s goal to give the Kings a 2-1 lead.
Standing at 6-foot-6, Helenius used his big frame to gain the zone and win puck battles down low in the corners. It wasn’t just that he picked up a point or that he’s a big guy who can possess the puck in tight areas but it was his all-round pace and hockey IQ that went a long way and will be a big reason why he gets more NHL action. From taking smart shots and shooting for rebounds to going for a change at the right time to backchecking hard and being in the right areas defensively, Helenius looked like he belonged.
“(Helenius was) very good […] speed no problem, hockey sense good, he was impressive,” Hiller said. He understands the game and he’s committed to the details of the game, which always gets you in good standing with the coach.
Rittich’s Second Period Performance Played a Key Role
While the Kings turned it around in the second period in terms of the offense they created and their ability to get the puck behind the Jackets, and not only generate but capitalize on their looks, the Blue Jackets had their fair share of grade-A chances that were denied by Rittich. Stopping all 11 shots in the second period, Rittich’s performance played a major part in the Kings taking the lead into the third period and ultimately walking out with the two points.
Rittich finished the night stopping 24 of 26 shots with a .950 save percentage. Rittich faced six high-danger shots throughout the game and was able to knock down five of them. The amount of point-blank chances the Blue Jackets had in the slot that Rittich was able to stop saved this game for the Kings.
Goaltending hasn’t been all that fantastic for the Kings so far throughout this season but one thing that continues to be a bright spot is both Darcy Kuemper and Rittich’s ability to come up big at crucial times in a game. This has allowed the Kings to either keep their lead or not get down early. These clutch moments from both goaltenders deserve more recognition but because they have also had some equally bad moments and their numbers aren’t anything to write home about, they haven’t been talked about a whole lot.
The Kings head up north to pay a visit to the no-quit Calgary Flames on Monday (Nov. 11) as they look to pick up their fourth win in five games.
